Ekiti group reacts to invectives on Afe Babalola
Ado-Ekiti Development Council, Lagos has reacted to the outbursts of a former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi on Aare Afe Babalola SAN, legal icon and founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti(ABUAD), calling the former governor’s vituperations “uncultured, barbaric, and rantings of a child who refused the training of his parents”.
Last week, Fayemi descended on the 94 year old Afe Babalola and called him unprintable names over the old man’s criticism of the performance of former governors of the state. Although the revered chief did not mention names, Fayemi, in an interview lampooned Babalola, calling him names and saying he would no longer allow him to control the narrative of his administration. Ekiti State since 1999 has had five governors. They are Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Mr Ayodele Fayose, Engr Segun Oni, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and the incumbent, Mr Biodun Oyebanji.
Babalola had on March 18, 2024 lamented the bad state of infrastructures in Ekiti State, saying past governors of the state had not performed well on infrastructure, particularly the road network in the state. He said this at the opening ceremony of the annex of ABUAD multi systems hospital, Igirigiri, Ado-Ekiti. It was in reaction to the comments that Fayemi lampooned the old man.
However, Ado-Ekiti Development Council under the leadership of Pastor Yemi Olayinka described Fayemi’s diatribe as unfortunate and uncultured. “How do you describe a man who insults an elder old enough to be his father, particularly when Fayemi himself acknowledged that Babalola’s children are older than him? Yet you insult their father?, he asked.
Olayinka said that everything Babalola lamented on are true. “How many roads were passable, or road worthy on the eve of Fayemi’s departure from office as governor? It is on record that commuters had a hellish time navigating the roads in Ekiti. Many roads like Ilesha-Ado road, Ilawe road, Ikole road all collapsed. While junketing and spending Ekiti money on his vaulting ambition of becoming Nigeria’s president, Fayemi neglected Ekiti infrastructure for four years”, Olayinka said.
The President of Ado-Ekiti Development Council reminded the former governor that he is still under the radar of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Ekiti Agro Allied Airport over which he took a N25 billion bond to finance but which no airplane could land on. “In a most fraudulent fashion, Fayemi ‘organized a military aircraft to land at the uncompleted airport. Even his guests from all over the country took commercial flights to Akure, Ondo State, from where they were ferried by road to Ado-Ekiti. They could not risk flying to an airport with no control tower! Yet that airport costs Ekiti people N25 billion! Olayinka advised Fayemi to take a cue from Ogun State and see how their governor approached and built and delivered on the same project to his people.
He said further: “Is it not an irony that it is this same Babalola that has committed two billion of his own money to complete that which Fayemi failed most fraudulently to do! Yet he has the effrontery to pore invectives on the old man!
“In Yoruba customs and traditions, you cannot see a well brought up child insulting elders not even the likes of Baba Afe Babalola who, even at his old age, is doing what the young ones have failed to do, still committed to the education, health, and well being of Africa and Africans, and Nigerians in particular. The likes of Afe Babalola are not just rare but have become undisputed institutions. It is therefore strange and unbelievable that one opportunist would wake up and call Aare Afe Babalola unprinted names, all in the name of establishing a narrative; a narrative of deceit, stealing and several betrayals;
Ekiti state has been so unfortunate to have a character in the likes of Fayemi as Governor. If not for a society where the undeserving, the nincompoops and the lay-about hide under the guise of politics, there’s no reason whatsoever why Ekiti, the state of Omoluabi to have had such a character near power;
Funny enough, Mr pretender has never won any election in Ekiti. His first attempt was through fraud and political manipulation known to the entire world. The “Salamigate” is still fresh in our memory. Honestly speaking, with the myriad of fraud allegations against Fayemi, he should be cooling off at either Kirikiri or Kuje prisons! Even as we speak, there are fraud charges against him pending before an Ado-Ekiti High Court where Fayose administration accused him of stealing over N100 billion of Ekiti money during his (Fayemi) first term as governor”.
Olayinka advised the Nigerian public not to take the words of a “serial betrayer like Fayemi seriously. “A man who betrayed his own political leaders cannot be taken seriously. He is a shameless politician without dignity. After all he did to Asiwaju, he could still go around begging and lobbying for an appointment under him. He has been so embittered, frustrated and dejected, missing the ministerial slot for Ekiti which we believe is the reason for the current outburst . We advise Fayemi to seek medical help before his current condition leads to total depression.
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